High-capacity freight cars

ABSTRACT

A railway freight car for transporting long, high and extremely heavy objects and requiring several pairs of swivel trucks at each end because of the weight of the car structure and load. The car comprises two sets of swivel trucks, a span bolster or underframe supported by each set of trucks, longitudinally extending superstructures carried by the span bolsters or underframes and held against swivel with respect thereto, the superstructures having vertical axis elongated pivot elements at the centers of their inboard ends, and lading support means connected by the pivot elements to the superstructures whereby to accommodate articulation of the lading support means and superstructures in the horizontal plane so as to limit the subtended chord length while rounding curves to the distance between the vertical axis pivot elements and thus minimize lateral overhang while maintaining the lading and both superstructures rigid in their longitudinal vertical plane. To accommodate the car to vertical track curvature, means are provided between the trucks and superstructures for permitting tilting of the superstructures in their longitudinal vertical planes with respect to the truck sets.

United States Patent Lich [54] HIGH CAPACITY FREIGHT CARS [72] Inventor: Richard L. Lich, Town and Country, Mo.

[73] Assignee: General Steel Industries, Inc., St. Louis,

[22] Filed: Sept. 12, 1969 [21] App1.No.: 857,335

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,532,061 10/1970 Bohm ..l05/367 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,138,418 10/1962 Germany ..105/367 190,902 8/1964 Sweden ..105/367 [4 Mar. l, 1972 Primary Examiner-Arthur L. La Point Assistant Examiner-Richard A. Bertsch Attorney-Bedell and Burgess [57] ABSTRACT A railway freight car for transporting long, high and extremely heavy objects and requiring several pairs of swivel trucks at each end because of the weight of the car structure and load. The car comprises two sets of swivel trucks, a span bolster or underframe supported by each set of trucks, longitudinally extending superstructures carried by the span bolsters or underframes and held against swivel with respect thereto, the superstructures having vertical axis elongated pivot elements at the centers of their inboard ends, and lading support means connected by the pivot elements to the superstructures whereby to accommodate articulation of the lading support means and superstructures in the horizontal plane so as to limit the subtended chord length while rounding curves to the distance between the vertical axis pivot elements and thus minimize lateral overhang while maintaining the lading and both superstructures rigid in their longitudinal vertical plane. To accommodate the car to vertical track curvature, means are provided between the trucks and superstructures for permitting tilting of the superstructures in their longitudinal vertical planes with respect to the truck sets.

1 1 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures HIGH-CAPACITY FREIGHT CARS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention The invention relates to railway rolling stock and consists particularly in a high capacity depressed center freight car of the type having a plurality of trucks at each end.

2. The Prior Art Conventional high capacity freight cars are provided at each end with two pairs of trucks, each pair supporting a span bolster, and the span bolsters supporting a secondary span bolster. A rigid underframe has high end portions which overlie and, at their ends, are pivotally supported on the centers of the secondary span bolsters and a depressed center load carrying portion. Since the rigid underframe must be sufficiently long to accommodate the lading between the sets of trucks at each end and to extend to the centers of theseconary span bolsters while rounding curves it will define a chord and due to its length will have substantial lateral overhand at its midpoint with consequent lateral clearance violations and lateral instability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a depressed center railway freight car for long high loads in which the chord length of the underframe is minimized while rounding curves by horizontally articulating, through elongated vertical axis pivots, the load carrying center portion to the supporting end portions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a railway car embodying one form of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the car illustrated in FIG. 1, on curved track.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial side elevation view of the car illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, partially vertically sectionalized.

FIG. 4 is a partial side elevational view of a railway car embodying a second form of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a partial side elevational view of a car embodying a third form of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a transverse vertical sectional view along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. 1-3, the numerals 1 through 8 inclusive refer respectively to swivel trucks each having three transverse axles 9 each respectively mounting a pair of transversely spaced railway flanged wheels 11. Trucks 1 through 8 each has at its center an upwardly open concave cylindrical pivot center plate 13, and primary span bolsters, numbered respectively through 18 inclusive, are provided at their ends with downwardly facing convex cylindrical center plates 19 by which they are respectively carried on the mating center plates 13 of trucks 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, and 7 and 8. The longitudinally outboard primary span bolsters l5 and 18 are preferably provided with outboard extensions 21 for mounting railway draft gear including couplers 23.

At their midpoints between primary center plates 19, each primary span bolster is formed with an upwardly facing concave cylindrical secondary center I plate 25, and a pair of secondary span bolsters 27 and 28 each formed at its ends with a downwardly facing center plate 29 are supported, by mating engagements of secondary center plates 29 and 25 respectively on primary span bolsters l5 and 16, and 17 and 18.

From the conventional construction as thus far described it will be evident that any load carried by the secondary span bolsters will be distributed equally through primary span bolsters 15-18 to trucks 1-8, axles 9 and wheels 11, while the swivel relationship of the trucks to the primary span bolsters and the primary to the secondary span bolsters will permit operation around track curves.

For supporting lading L, lading support framing consisting preferably of transversely spaced longitudinally elongated side sills 31 and end members 33 is positioned between the two end truck and span bolster assemblies, side sills 31 being at the lowest level consistent with railroad clearances.

For transmitting the load from lading L and framing 31, 33 to the axles and wheels and thence to the track, end members 33 are of generally V-shape in plan and are substantially vertically elongated at their apices and are there formed with a pair of vertically spaced hinged knuckles 37 and 39 on their upper and lower portions respectively, knuckles 37 and 39 being formed with vertically aligned cylindrical bearing apertures 41 and 43. Longitudinally elongated 'trussed superstructure frames, generally indicated at 45, are provided with a pair of vertically spaced knuckles 47 and 49 similarly apertured and spaced such that superstructure bottom knuckles 49 underlie framing end member knuckles 39 and thereby support the framing, and superstructure top knuckles 47 overlie framing top knuckles 37. Vertically elongated pintles 51, passing through the aligned apertures in knuckles 47, 37, 39 and 49, hold framing 31, 33 and superstructure frames 45 in assembled relation, providing articulation in the horizontal plane and vertical rigidity.

At their outboard ends superstructure frames 45 are supported on secondary span bolsters 27 and 28 midway between secondary span bolster center plates .29 to provide uniform distribution of the load to the latter.

In order for the car to accommodate itself freely to vertical as well as horizontal track curvature because of its great overall length, and in view of the vertical rigidity of the load-carrying assembly 31, 33, 45, the outboard ends of superstructure frames 45 are formed with transverse axis trunnions 53 which are rotatably received in transversely spaced bearings 55 in secondary span bolsters 27 and 28. To maintain longitudinal alignment of superstructure frames 45 and secondary span bolsters 27 and 28, the latter are formed at their inboard ends with a pair of transversely spaced upstanding guide abutments 56 which slidably engage the sides of frames 45.

Operation of this embodiment of the invention is as follows: as the car moves along the track, it accommodates itself to horizontal curvature by swivel of trucks 1-8 relative to their respective primary span bolsters 15-18, by swivel of the latter relative to secondary span bolsters 27 and 28. Since superstructure frames 45 are held in longitudinal alignment with secondary span bolsters 27 and 28 by the cooperation of trunnions 53 and bearings 55 with guide abutments 56, so that their inboard ends and pintles 51 are maintained slightly outboard of the track center line, the inboard overhang of the load-carrying framing 31, 33 is minimized, as seen in FIG. 2, with consequent improvement in lateral stability and compliance with clearance limits.

Vertical track curvature is accommodated by longitudinal tipping of trucks l-8 about center plates 13, 19 with respect to primary span bolsters 15-18, by longitudinal tipping of the latter about center plates 25, 29 with respect to secondary span bolsters 27, 28 and by longitudinal tipping of the latter about trunnion 53 with respect to the vertically rigid load-carrying structure 31, 33, 45.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in which only one end assembly of a car is shown, it will be understood that the other end assembly is identical to the end illustrated, and that the lading support framing 31, 33 is identical to that illustrated, and that the lading support framing 31, 33 is identical to that illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. The end assembly illustrated comprises four six-wheel swivel trucks 5, 6, 7 and 8, and a pair of span bolsters 17a and 18a mounted at their ends through center plates 19a on the centers of trucks 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 respectively, as in the previously described embodiment.

At their midpoints, as best seen in FIG. 5, span bolsters 17a and 18a are centrally spherically apertured as at 58 to receive a spherical block 60 formed with a central vertical axis aper- V ture 61 and a pair of transversely extending side bearing arms 63, 63, both having at their outer ends upwardly facing horizontal bearing surfaces 65.

For transmitting the load of the lading and lading support framing 31, 33 to span bolsters 17a and 18a, a secondary span bolster or underframe 67 is formed with a pair of depending cylindrical bosses 69 spaced apart longitudinally of the car and pivotally received in bearing apertures 61 to provide and longitudinal tipping of the primary span bolsters, resulting from vertical track curvature, as well as limited lateral rocking of the underframe 67 on the primary span bolsters and, in transverse alignment with bosses 69, the secondary span bolster is formed with downwardly open cylindrical pockets 71 in which are vertically slidably received pistons 73, on the lower ends of which are mounted shoes 75 which are slidably seated on side bearing surfaces 65 on primary span bolster arms 63. Hydraulic fluid in cylinders 71 maintains secondary span bolster 67 at the proper height above primary span bolsters 17a and 18a.

Secondary span bolster 67 rigidly mounts a truss superstructure 74 the inboard end of which projects inwardly from the inboard end of truck 5, where it is formed with hinge knuckles 47a and 49a, by means of which it is connected to lading support framing end 33 by pintle 51 and lading support framing end knuckles 37 and 39.

To accommodate this embodiment of the invention to vertical track curvature, in view of the vertical rigidity of the assembly comprising lading support framing 31, 33, superstructures 74 and secondary span bolsters 67, hydraulic cylinders 71L above both primary span bolsters are connected to each other by conduits 77L and hydraulic cylinders 71R are similarly connected by conduits 77R to form, respectively, closed hydraulic systems whereby upon traversing a hump in the track, pistons 73 associated with inboard primary span bolsters 16a (not shown) and 17a will move upwardly in their cylinders 71L and 71R and, because of the closed hydraulic interconnections 77L and 77R, pistons 73 associated with outboard primary span bolsters 15a (not shown) and 18a will move downwardly, thus equalizing the load of the lading support assembly 31, 33, 74, 67 on the primary span bolsters while providing the necessary longitudinal tipping of the trucks at each end of the car with respect to the vertically rigid lading support assembly. Operation of the car through a dip in the track would be accommodated by a reversal of the action of side bearing hydraulic pistons 73. a

1n the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 6-8, superstructure 79, like the superstructure of the last previous embodiment, is rigid with underframe 81 which is directly supported on four six-wheel trucks b, 6b, 7b and 8b. Trucks 5b, 6b, 7b and 8b are identical and each has six wheels 11 mounted in transversely spaced pairs on axles 9, which are spaced apart lengthwise of the truck. A rigid truck frame comprises spaced longitudinally extending side members 83, 83 supported from axles 9 by equalizers 85 and springs 87, end transoms 89 and intermediate transoms 91. Intermediate transoms 91 are disposed between the middle and end wheels of the truck and are connected immediately inwardly of the wheels of the middle axle by transversely spaced longitudinally extending side bearing beams 93, 93. The latter are connected by a pair of transverse center beams 95, 95 spaced apart longitudinally of the truck and symmetrically disposed with respect to the center of the truck. Between the upper and lower flanges 97 and 99 of transverse beams 95 is slidably mounted a block 101 formed with a concave spherical section aperture 103 in which is rotatably received a spherical block 105. The latter is formed with a vertical cylindrical aperture 107 in which is pivotally received a cylindrical element 109 vertically depending from the center of underframe 81. It will be understood that there are four such cylindrical elements 109, one of which is pivotally received in blocks 101, 105 of each of trucks 5b, 6b, 7c and 8c. This arrangement accommodates swivel, longitudinal tipping, transverse tilting and lateral movement between the underframe and each truck.

At each side of block 27, in the space between it and the webs of longitudinal side bearing beams 93, left and right cylinders lllL and 111R, respectively, are mounted on the truck frame, their pistons 1l3L and 113R respectively being connected to the sides of pivot block 101. When the car is on straight track and block 101 is centered transversely of the truck, pistons 113L and 113R are centered respectively of their cylinders lllL and 111R and the cylinders are filled with hydraulic fluid F on the transversely outer sides of pistons 113L and 113R.

As best seen in FIG. 6, the outer end of cylinders [UL and 111R of trucks 5b and 7b are connected respectively by hydraulic conduit means 115 L and R and 117 L and R respectively to the corresponding cylinders 111L and 111R of trucks 6b and 8b. Hydraulic conduits 115 and 117 are also filled with hydraulic fluid F so that each pair of connected cylinders and the conduit connecting them constitutes a closed, fixedvolume hydraulic system whereby as the car rounds a curve, the movement of the leading truck of each pair toward the inside of the curve respectively will cause a corresponding outward movement, radially of the curve, of the trailing truck of each pair.

For example, if the car in FIGS. 6 and 7 is moving to the right and enters a right hand curve, truck 8b will initially be moved off center toward the right side of the car. This will cause its cylinder 111L to move to the ri ht with respect to piston 113L. This will cause hydraulic fiuid to be forced through conduit 117 to cylinder 111L of truck 7b, causing the cylinder 111L of truck 7b to urge truck 70 to the left relative to underframe 81 the same distance that truck 8b moved to the right. Similarly, this movement will be accommodated by the flow of fluid from cylinder 111R on truck 7b as its piston 113R moves to the right to cylinder 111R of truck 80, filling the enlarged chamber therein formed by the leftward movement of piston 113R of truck 80. Continuing the movement of the car to the right and around the same right hand curve, as truck 6b enters the curve, its cylinders coact with those of truck 5b in the same manner as did those of trucks 8b and 7b. This action simulates the action of a mechanical connection such as a conventional span bolster.

For supporting the underframe vertically on the four trucks each truck is provided on the top surface of longitudinal center members 91, 91 with an arcuate upwardly facing horizontal bearing surface 121, and the underframe is formed with a pair of cylinders 123 vertically disposed and in trans verse alignment with depending cylindrical bosses 109 associated with each of the trucks. Cylinders 123 are centered with respect to bearing surfaces 121, 121. Pistons 125 are slidably mounted in cylinders 123 and their lower ends are in the form of convex spherical segments seated in sockets 127 of similar concave spherical segment shape in sockets 127 of similar concave spherical segment shape in sockets 127 of similar concave spherical segment shape in the upper surfaces of downwardly facing shoes 129 which rest on and are slidable with respect to upwardly facing horizontal bearing surfaces 121 on the truck frames to accommodate swiveling and transverse movements of the truck frame relative to the underframe. Cylinders 123 of trucks 5b, 6b, 7b and 8b are connected by hydraulic conduit 131 to form closed, fixed volume hydraulic systems and the interconnecting conduit is filled with hydraulic fluid H of such quantity that on level track pistons 125 are centrally positioned in their cylinders 123, as in FIG. 8. With this arrangement when vertical curves are encountered, as for example, if the car is moving from left to right (as viewed in FIGS. 6 and 7) and trucks 8b and 7b are urged upwardly with respect to underframe 81 by a rise in the track, pistons 125 associated with trucks 8b and 7b will be caused to move upwardly in their cylinders 123 thereby forcing fluid H through conduits 131 into cylinders 123 associated with trucks 6b and 5b so as to cause pistons 125 associated with trucks 6b and 5b to move downwardly, maintaining the associated shoes 129 in engagement with bearing surfaces 121 of trucks 6b and 5b, so that at all times the load would be equally distributed to the trucks irrespective of vertical track curvature.

Thus, as the car illustrated in FIGS. 6-8 moves along the track, horizontal curvature is accommodated between the end assemblies and lading support framing 31, 33 by articulation at pintles 41, and between the trucks and underframes 81 by the hydraulica interconnections between transverse piston cylinder assemblies llllL, 113L and 111R and 113R on the respective pairs of trucks. Since lading support of 31, 33, superstructures 79 and underframes 81 are a vertically substantially rigid unit, differential vertical movements of the supporting trucks lb-4b (not shown) and 5b-8b with respect to underframes 81 as may be required by vertical curvature of the track are accommodated by the hydraulic interconnection, through conduits 131, of cylinders 123 and uniform load distribution to the trucks, axles and wheels is thus maintained.

I claim:

1. A railway vehicle comprising two sets of swivel trucks spaced from each other longitudinally of the vehicle, a pair of longitudinally extending load transmitting elements supported respectively on said truck sets, a pair of longitudinally extending superstructures carried respectively by said load transmitting elements and held against swivel with respect thereto, said superstructures having substantially elongated vertical axis pivot-forming elements at the centers of their inboard ends, and a lading unit connected at its ends by said vertical axis pivot'forming elements to said superstructures and there supported on said superstructures to form with said superstructures a horizontally articulated but vertically rigid structure, there being means for permitting tipping of said superstructures about transverse axes with respect to their respective supporting truck sets whereby to accommodate said vehicle to vertical as well as horizontal track curvature.

2. A railway vehicle according to claim 1 wherein each set of swivel trucks comprises two pairs of swivel trucks and a pair of primary span bolsters supported respectively on said pairs of trucks.

3. A railway vehicle according to claim 2 wherein each said load transmitting element comprises a secondary span bolster supported at its ends on said primary span bolsters of each set.

41. A railway vehicle according to claim 3 wherein each said superstructure is rigidly mounted on the respective secondary span bolster, there being means supporting said secondary span bolster on said primary span bolsters to permit the former to tip longitudinally of the vehicle with respect to said swivel trucks sets.

5. A railway vehicle according to claim 1 wherein a transverse horizontal pivot bearing means on said load transmitting elements forms the support of each said superstructure on its respective load transmitting element.

6. A railway vehicle according to claim 5 wherein each of said superstructures comprises a truss member having transverse pivot-forming means at its outboard end for mating engagement with said horizontal pivot bearing means on said load transmitting elements.

7. A railway vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said lading unit comprises longitudinally extending framing having at its ends vertical axis pivot means pivotally connected to said vertical axis pivot-forming elements on said superstructures.

8. A railway vehicle according to claim 1 wherein each said superstructure is rigidly mounted on the respective load transmitting element, said tipping means being operative between each said load transmitting element and its respective set of swivel trucks.

9. A railway vehicle according to claim 6 wherein each said load transmitting element is a rigid underframe.

10. A railway vehicle according to claim 9 wherein said tipping means comprises vertical piston and cylinder assemblies supporting each said underframe on said swivel trucks respectively, and hydraulic conduit means connecting said as semblies to each other to form a closed hydraulic system.

11. A railway vehicle according to claim 10 wherein each of said sets of swivel trucks comprises two pairs of trucks, there being a transverse double acting cylinder and piston system connecting each truck to said underfrarne, and conduit means connecting corresponding sides of said systems of the truck of each end pair to each other to form closed circuit hydraulic systems whereby lateral movement of one truck of the pair in one direction produces corresponding lateral movement of the other truck of the pair in the opposite direction. 

1. A railway vehicle comprising two sets of swivel trucks spaced from each other longitudinally of the vehicle, a pair of longitudinally extending load transmitting elements supported respectively on said truck sets, a pair of longitudinally extending superstructures carried respectively by said load transmitting elements and held against swivel with respect thereto, said superstructures having substantially elongated vertical axis pivot-forming elements at the centers of their Inboard ends, and a lading unit connected at its ends by said vertical axis pivot-forming elements to said superstructures and there supported on said superstructures to form with said superstructures a horizontally articulated but vertically rigid structure, there being means for permitting tipping of said superstructures about transverse axes with respect to their respective supporting truck sets whereby to accommodate said vehicle to vertical as well as horizontal track curvature.
 2. A railway vehicle according to claim 1 wherein each set of swivel trucks comprises two pairs of swivel trucks and a pair of primary span bolsters supported respectively on said pairs of trucks.
 3. A railway vehicle according to claim 2 wherein each said load transmitting element comprises a secondary span bolster supported at its ends on said primary span bolsters of each set.
 4. A railway vehicle according to claim 3 wherein each said superstructure is rigidly mounted on the respective secondary span bolster, there being means supporting said secondary span bolster on said primary span bolsters to permit the former to tip longitudinally of the vehicle with respect to said swivel trucks sets.
 5. A railway vehicle according to claim 1 wherein a transverse horizontal pivot bearing means on said load transmitting elements forms the support of each said superstructure on its respective load transmitting element.
 6. A railway vehicle according to claim 5 wherein each of said superstructures comprises a truss member having transverse pivot-forming means at its outboard end for mating engagement with said horizontal pivot bearing means on said load transmitting elements.
 7. A railway vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said lading unit comprises longitudinally extending framing having at its ends vertical axis pivot means pivotally connected to said vertical axis pivot-forming elements on said superstructures.
 8. A railway vehicle according to claim 1 wherein each said superstructure is rigidly mounted on the respective load transmitting element, said tipping means being operative between each said load transmitting element and its respective set of swivel trucks.
 9. A railway vehicle according to claim 8 wherein each said load transmitting element is a rigid underframe.
 10. A railway vehicle according to claim 9 wherein said tipping means comprises vertical piston and cylinder assemblies supporting each said underframe on said swivel trucks respectively, and hydraulic conduit means connecting said assemblies to each other to form a closed hydraulic system.
 11. A railway vehicle according to claim 10 wherein each of said sets of swivel trucks comprises two pairs of trucks, there being a transverse double acting cylinder and piston system connecting each truck to said underframe, and conduit means connecting corresponding sides of said systems of the truck of each end pair to each other to form closed circuit hydraulic systems whereby lateral movement of one truck of the pair in one direction produces corresponding lateral movement of the other truck of the pair in the opposite direction. 